Flydubai will retrofit 21 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, ditching its odd regional recliner seats for the flat bed business class found across the rest of its fleet.
This move makes sense. They're more and more into the medium to long haul market with current flights to Bangkok, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk while operating 737s. Of course you want to offer a full business class product then, especially when you're aware of what the general public will see as 'the competition' at your home base. It's already horrible to spend 5+ hours on that type of jet, so there's no need to add insult to injury by offering some economy plus seat on steroids.
It will be interesting to see what the widebodies will bring and how they will be used. And of course if they'll align the business class 'hard' products as good as possible. I'll see if I can try their improved product at some point next year.
If they (and SQ) can do this to 737, everyone can, but chooses not to. Lie-flat is an actual premium cabin. Recliners are fine for daytime under 5 hours. But when you get to redeyes and 5+ hours, c’mon, lie-flat, folks!
Well - Copa Airlines has life-flat seats on their 737 MAX 9. They put them to JFK quite often.
Obviously everyone can... The question isn't whether they're capable, but whether it's financially viable.
I don't think they needed this. Who really needs a lie flat bed on a flight from Dubai to Muscat. It's nice, but unnecessary.
FlyDubai has enough destinations within <3 hour flight times where having some planes with US style business class make sense.
Ironically, 'US style business class' often is lie-flat. Perhaps, you meant, 'US style domestic First,' which is often recliners, as opposed to 'intra-Europe business' which is 3-3 middle-blocked. Whenever anyone else is ready, I'd like to call an international convention (Montreal 2.0) to finally get these names in-order. I say, Economy, Premium, Business, First. Those are the 4. Premium means recliner; Business means lie-flat; First is when 4-class, suite, lie-flat, special lounge, etc.
The lie-flat seats are obviously a big welcome, but I think the bigger improvement is the consistency. If I’m paying for business class, I’d like to know what I’ll get, particularly when aircraft swaps happen. Having three different business class products on essentially the same aircraft always feels unnecessarily complicated.
"If I’m paying for business class, I’d like to know what I’ll get, particularly when aircraft swaps happen." *staring at Delta's fleet*
I think this move to upgrade business on these one isle planes will fail. People do not need to lie down on a 1-4 ir 5 hour flight. I think the cost will be so high they would mske more with the old design. More people in business with older design. People just sit. Whats the next step? 2 massage tables in business? People have to get massages? They need naps? Really?
You are forgetting the plethora of 4-5 hours flights ME3 operate at 3AM or 4AM in the morning from South Asia. They won't pay big bucks for recliner seats in J.
What about this? Have they ever installed this?
https://www.safran-group.com/pressroom/flydubai-unveils-business-suite-made-safran-2023-05-01
No, they never installed it because this seat (Safran Vue) has not been certified yet. It has taken too long. It is the same seat that Delta was going to install on their A321neos. But rumours are there that Delta may also chose Thompson's Vantage business class which is the same seat flyDubai installed on their 737 MAX 8 and has decided to install on all their aircraft.